NATIONAL NEWS - The so-called Mamelodi flood victims believe that moving 650 of their number in the coming months “will not be enough”.
Instead, they are demanding that at least 1 000 residents be moved to an alternative location all at the same time.
Resident December Matlala said some residents were in afraid of being “left behind”.
“No one would like to be left behind and wait for the Tshwane metro to relocate another group next year,” said Matlala.
Tshwane metro officials held a meeting with almost all of the Mamelodi flood victims at the Nellmapius Multi-purpose centre last week Thursday.
Matlala said the meeting went well except for the fact they are moving a total of 650 residents of the flood victims residing next to the flood line.
Flood victims said they have more than a thousand residents residing next to the flood line.
Matlala said the residents wanted the Tshwane metro to include them in the planning of the relocation process.
“We are planning to approach the national treasury and the special investigation units to find out how the budget set aside to relocate flood victims was used.”
Matlala said the metro’s human settlement department did not take them seriously.
“We want the metro to move everyone to a safer place as soon as possible and not to gamble with people’s lives,” he said.
Tshwane metro announced that both the old and new informal settlement, particularly those in dangerous areas are to be prioritised, also those next to the flood line, under power lines, servitude, road reserves, environmentally sensitive areas.
All the shacks will be marked, verified and registered to be relocated and allocated a stand.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the matter was resolved during the meeting that was held in Nellmapius.
“The community leaders identified five representatives from each informal settlement and provided email addresses of the two who will receive the draft presentation on the resettlement plan of the beneficiaries in region 5 and 6,” said Mashigo.
“The metro will send the draft resettlement plan immediately to all leaders for them to make inputs which should be provided to the metro within seven days,” he said.
The metro will convene a meeting with the identified leaders to finalise the plan.
